The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-11-03
CORMORANT FISHING
How the Japanese Fish at Night
With Birds.
A Peculiar Scene in a Mountain
Stream of Japan.

At the fifth annual congress Of the
American Ornithologists' Union in Bos-
ton, one of the papers read was particu-
larly interesting. 1t was by Pierre
Louis Juoy, who went to Japan on a
government scientific mission for the
National Museum, and who related as
follows his story of nights fishing with
cormorant:
SIN the clear mountain streams of
central Japan there is found peculiar
fish of the family Salmonidn This fish,
the al of the japanese, is something
between smelt and trout in appear.
ance, grows to length of twelve to
fourteen inches, and is bright silvery in
color, with a golden spot on each should
cr 1t is very delicate in flavor, and is
much priced for the table. In a coun-
try celebrated for the variety and cx-
cellence of It's fish, this species holds the
highest place and commands the best
price in tho market. Many ingenious
methods are employed for its capture,
among the most interesting of which is
the use of cormorauts. We are all
familiar with tho stories of cormorant
fishing in China, where the fisherman
has his birds trained to obey call-note
or whistle, and where they sit around
the edge of the boat and go and return
to and from the water like we'll
trained spaniel, but comorant fishing in
rapid mountain stream is quite q diff
ferent thing from fishing in a sluggish,
muddy river in China, and believe
that the japanese methods are quite un-
known, being carried on at night and in
remote and out of-th-way places.
II made journey of about twenty
five miles from Toxic to small river,
the Ban lgawa, on purpose to witness
this interesting and, to me, novel sight.
1t was bright moonlight night, said to
be bad night for fishing, cloudy or
dull evening being preferred, as the fish
are then not so active. The river con-
sisted of two branches running very
swiftly, and each from twenty to fifty
yards wide, but in flood time it ex-
tended over space of 200 yards or
more, running between high bluffs.
''The man with his bird was waiting
for us ON the stoaey bed Of the river
with his torch Of pine fat burning
brightly. The bird was very tame and
sat perched on rock close by. A cord
was tied pretty and tightly around the
lower part of the throat and between the
shoulders, from which was attached
piece OF bamboo (having a swivel at each
end) long enough to extend beyond the
birds wings and prevent fouling of the
cord while the bird was in the water.
The man carried basket at his side to
put the fish in, and sort of apron In
front to hold pine chips for the light.
The lantern was wire cage or basket
placed on the end of long bamboo pole.
This with the cord attached to the bird,
which gives him range of about twenty
feet, is held in the left hand, the right
being employed in guiding the bird, re-
plenishiug the fire, and taking the fish.
Everything being ready, the fisher
man takes the torch in hisleft hand and,
clasping the cord to which the bird it
attached, wades out into the stream, the
bird following him, and after perform
ing a hasty toilet, dipping his head and
neck in the water, and prccning himself
begins the business of the night. The
fisherman holds the fire directly in front
and above the birds head, so that it can
see the fish in the clear water The bird
seems to be perfectly fearless, and, as
he comes up, sparks of fire arc constantly
falling on his head and back. The fish
ing is done upstream, the man finding
it all he can do to keep pace with the
bird as the water surges up nearly to his
waist. In fact, it was hard work for us
on shore to scramble along among the
rocks in the uncertain light and watch
the bird at the same time
''Thc bird dives, swims under water
for eight or ten yards, comes up and is
down again, working very rapidly and
constantly taking fish. When the fishes
are small, the bird is allowed to retain
two or three in his throat at time, but
fair-sized fish is Immediately taken
from him and put into the basket. Dur
ing space of half an hour fifteen fishes
were taken, which was pronounced
good catch, considering the brightness
of the night. The largest of these fishes,
which were all of the same species, were
nine to ten inches in length, and, having
been taken immediately from the beak
of the bird, were scarcely bruised. The
largest and best of these we had the next
morning for break fast; the Others we
gave to our friend, the cormorant, who
was kindly assisted by his master to get
them past the cord, which CONSTRUCTED
his throat so that he could not other
wise have swallowed
''The birds are trained especially for
the work and do not fish in the day.
time. Our bird was two years old, and
was considered very bright and active
fisher, having on good nights, fishing all
night, caught as many as 400 fishes.
Three hundred was considered a fair
nights work. Only calm nights are
available, and the darker the better"
The Still Small Voice.
Sunday school teacher (speaking of